Can-testing machine.



No. 876,558. PATENTED JAN. 14, 1908.

0. J. JOHNSON.

CAN TESTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.3,1 O".

' 9 ZSHEETS-SHEET 1.

zfizrzesses: I I I 1% %2% a r i ome ys No. 876,558. PATENTED JAN.14, 1908. 0. J. JOHNSON.

'UAN TESTING MACHINE.

.PPLIG mow mix-11 APR. 3, 1907. A Y 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

fnverzzor OLIVER J. JOHNSON, or w HEELING, WEST VIRGINIA.

CAN-TESTING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Jan. 14, 1908.

Application filed April 3. 1907- Serial No. 366.134.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, OLIVER J. JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wheeling, in the :county of Ohio and State of West Virginia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Can-Testing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates more particularly tocan testing machines of that type in which to other can testing or. analogous machines requiring an air-controlling device or valve for establishing an interrupting communication between a stationary conduit and-movin air passage.

' The invention is directed. to improvements in'the air-controlling dr distributing means, and its primary object is to so construct and arrange the. same with respect tothe can carrier or wheel and its supporting and driving. means that the air distributing device or valve is accessible and can-be readily adjusted or taken apart for examininggizleanmg or repairing the same, without dismantling or disturbing any oflthe other parts of i the machine.

Another object of theqinvention is to so' construct the air distributing device or valve that it occupies but little spacebetween the carrier or wheel and the bearing for the latter, thus enabling the wheel to be located close to the beahng where it will have a more stable support. l v

In the accompanying drawings, consisting of two sheets: Figurel is a central sectional elevation of a can testing machine embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary transverse sectional elevation thereof, in line 2+2, Fig. 1-. Fig. 3 is an enlarged section of the air distributing device, inLline 22, Fig. 1. Fig. 4'is a cross-section in line 4-4, Fig. 1.

Like letters of reference ref r to like parts in the several figures.

1 A .represents the rotary carrier or wheel,

.13 the can clamps or holders arranged around the peripheral portion of the carrier, and .C the testing tank which holds the Water into which the holders and cans carried thereby are successively immersed in the rotation of the carrier. The invention does not relate to these parts and they may be of any'usual or suitable construction. 'In the machine shown in the drawings, the carrier consists of a circular disk or plate a and a ring a spaced therefrom and supported by brackets (1 and the can clamps consist of opposite heads b b between which the cans are grasped and which are located between the carrier disk-and ring and carried by stems ring. The clamp heads I)- are moved toward an fr 'clamp' and release the cans, by mechanism not shown.- The stems of the stationary clamp heads I) have longitudinal assages therein for admitting the air to t e cans while held by the clamps, and the several stems are connected by branch air pipes or passages d to a hub or ring D at the'center ofthe carrier and which turns therewith. This ring may be formed integrally with the carrier but it is preferably separate frombut secured to turn with-the. carrier.

The carrier or wheel A is secured to a hol-- low shaft E which, in the machine illustrated, passes through and is journaled in two bear- Ings e e on a frame or column c and a third bearing e? on a brackete su ported-at one side .of the carrier by standar s 6". The carrier and thering D with the branch air passages are LfiXed-on the shaft between the bearings e and 6?. For driving the carrier a'worm wheel F. is fixed to one end of the hoi- -low shaft andmeshes with a worm on a counter-shaft f connected by bevel gearing f with a drive shaft f provided with fast and loose pulleys 4 f 5 for a drive belt. The carrier shaft coul be mounted and driven by any other suitable means, as these means form no part of theinvention. I I

The air-controlling or distributing means are constructed. as follows: G re resents a stationary main air tube or con uit which extends into the hollow shaft through one .end thereof, the tube being of a diameter to allow the shaft E to rotate freely about the same. The outer end of this tube is connected in any suitable manner to a supply passing through holes in the carrier disk and om the opposite stationary heads I) to pipe g for air under pressure. ll represents a bushing or plug which extends into the hollovs carrier shaft through the opposite end thereof, said bushing or plug fitting tightly in the shaft and being secured to turn with the shaft, for instance, by screws h, Fig. 1,

passing through a flange at the outer end of the bushing into threaded holes in the end of the carrier shaft. The inner ends of the air tube G and bushing H are formed to hear one against the other, the one constituting in effect a valve, and the other a seat for the valve. Preferably the bushing has a conical cavity h constituting thc valve seat, and the air tube has a corresponding conical end itting in said cavity and constituting the val c. The bushing H and air distributing ring or hub D turn with the carrier shaft, and registering holes i through these three parts connect the branch air pipes or passages (Z leading from the several can holders to the valve seat in the bushing ll. 'The stationary air tube has a port 'L with wl'lich said holes i are adapted to register successively in the rota tion of the carrier. As long as the .hole is in registration with the valve port i the compressed air will pass through it and the com municating branch air pipe into the can in the holder to which said pipe leads, and the portis preferably so arranged and p roportioned that each hole i and connecting branch pipe will remain in communication therewith and supply air under pressure to the can, at least so long as the can is submerged in the water. The stationary air tube is ad justably and rcmovably secured in the carrier shaft by suita le means which, in the construction shown (see Figs. 1 and 4), consist of a ring K surrounding the projecting end of the air tube between fixed collars k theron and secured to the hub of the worm wheel by adjusting screws A? it". The screw is works in a threaded hole in the ring and bears against the hub of the worm wheel, while the other screw If passes through a smooth hole in the ring and screws into a threaded hole in the hub of the worm wheel. By unscrewingone screw and screwing up the other, the ring with the tube can be adjusted in or out to cause its conical end to properly seat in the cavity of the bushing. The air tube is held from turning by an, arm I secured thereto and engaging a bracket or part Z on the frame of the machine. The air tube G can be readily released and withdrawn endwise from the carrier shaft by first detaching the adjusting ring and disconnecting the tube from the air supply pipe and the arm Z from the holding bracket Z. Any other convenient means could be employed for holding and adjusting the air tube.

The bushing H can also be released and withdrawn from the other end of the carrier shaft by first-unscrewing the screws h which fasten it to the shaft. Thus either the air tube orthe bushing, or both, can be easily and quickly detached and removed without disturbing the carrier or its supporting and driving means. The described construction permits the air-distributing device or valve' to be readily adjusted or removed to examine, clean or repair it, and the parts of the air-distributing device, with the exception of holders B at the descending side of the carrier before they enter the water, and are held tightly closed by the holders. Air under pressure enters each can when the branch air pipe (Z for its holder registers with the port i in the air tube G, which occurs before or while the can is submerged. If the can leaks, the air escaping therefrom will form bubbles in the water and an attendant operates the holder for this can to discharge it ata different point in the revolution of the carrier from that at which the perfect cans are discharged, the leaky and perfect cans being thus separated.

The essential idea of the invention is the construction and arrangement of the airdistributing device or valve so that it is accessible and can be adjusted or removed, if necessary for any reason, without disturbing the carrier or other parts of the machine, and it is not dependent upon the constructionof such other parts of the machine. Furthermore,'the invention isnot restricted to the particular construction of the air-distributing device or valve shown in the drawings, as the details of the construction could be changed without departing from the principle of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

In a can'testing machine, the combition of a moving carrier provided with a can holder, amainair pipe, and means for establishing and interrupting communication between said main: air pipe and said can holder comprising relatively stationary and movable parts, one of which parts is separable from said carrier and is constructed and arranged so that it is removable from the machine independently of said carrier or its parts, substantially as set forth.

2. In a can testing machine, the combination of a rotary carrier provided with can holders, a main air pipe, branch air par ages movable with said carrier and leading t said can holders, and means for establishing and interrupting communication between said main air pipe and said branch passages comprising a valve and valve seat, one of which rotates with said carrier and one of which is separable from said carrier and is constructed "its parts, substantially as set forth. I

; holders, a stationary air conduit arranged I provided with can holders, and passages part which turns with said carrier, and an alr it is removable from the machine independl5 a main pipe, and mean pmunication between's'aid main pipe and said passages comprising parts, one of which ro tates with said cal'rier, one ofsaid parts being separable from said carrier supporting means and removable from the machine independ-v ently of said supporting means and said shaft for saidcarrier, a main pi e, and means and arranged so that itis removable from the machine independently'of'said carrier or 3. In a can testing machine, .the.combina-. tion of a rotary carrier rovided with can holders, and air passages eading to said can axially with respect to said carrier, a rotary: part cooperating with said conduit toestablish and interrupt communication between the same and: said airpassa' es, said stationary conduit being separa le from said carrier andconstructed and arranged so'- that ently f said c'arrier'or' its parts, substan-i tiallylas set forth e I Ina can testing machine,-the combination of a rotary carrier'provided with can. holders, and passages leading to saidholders, means for :rotatably sup. orting saidcarrier, s r controlling com-.

carrier whereby it can be removed .vsithout disturbing the carrier, substantially as set forth; I l

5. The combination of a'rotatable carrier leading to said holders, a hollow supporting shaft for said carrier, a main pipe, and means located within said hollow-shaft and controlling communication between said mair l pipe ,and carrier'passages, said means being removable from said hollow shaft independ-- ently of said carrier, substantially as set forth. a ,l

6. The combination of a rotatable carrier provided with can' holders, and passagesl leading to said holders, a hollow supporting l controlling communication etween said mam plperand carrier passages comprising a conduit'which extends into said-hollow shaft and is removable therefrom independently of said carrier, substantially as set forth.

rovided W-ithcan holders, and passages lead mg to said holders, a hollow supporting shaft t V for said carrier, 'a main pipe, and means controlling communication between said main 'pipe and carrier passages comprising a part Wl'llClI turns with said car'rler, an air condult ing a valve removably secured in said hollow shaft, and 'a bushing also remoyably secured in' said shaft for cooperation with said valve, substantially as set forth. f

9. The combination of a rotatable carrier or, Wheel provided with passages', 'a conduit removably secured axially insaidcarrier and havinga p rt, and a bushingremovably se cured axial yin said carrier and having holes "connecting with said carrier passages and arranged ,to register with said conduit port,

substantially as set forth.

10 The combination of a rotatablecarriei' or'wheel provided withpassages', a conduit arranged axially 'in said carrier and having aport, and a bushing arranged axially in said carrier and having holes connecting with said carrier passages and arranged to register with said conduit port, said conduit and bush Iing being removable from said carrierat op-' posite, sldes thereof independently of the carrier, substantially asset-forth.

Witness my hand this' 23d day of March, 1907. a

OLIVER. J'. JOHNSON.

Witnesses: -J.Y LA'TNA MoLAm C. ErCLOVIS.

I 50 71 The combination of a rotatable carrier 7 

